Fredonia, New York has a legal process known as "probate." This is when a court determines whether or not a will is lawful, and, accordingly, whether or not to effectuate its provisions.

As part of the probate procedure, the court in Fredonia, New York will decide the validity of the will, inventory the decedent's assets and debts, then, assuming everything is deemed to be in order, distribute the estate according to the will.

Wills commonly name a person as the executor of the estate. If not, the court in Fredonia, New York will name one. This is most often the adult individual who stands to inherit the most funds or property from the will.

The executor is the person accountable for initiating the probate proceedings. The person who would inherit the most from the will is appointed, because they have the greatest reason to move the process along as quickly as possible, so they can get their inheritance.

Duties of the Executor in Fredonia, New York

The executor has many duties regarding the will. First, they have to really initiate the probate proceedings, which must be done before the will is effectuated.

Furthermore, the executor has to make sure that the decedent's relatives and other people named in the will have notice of the testator's death, normally through the filing of a copy of the official death certificate.

The executor will also have to gather and make accessible a list of all of the decedent's debts and assets, as well as a list of those who stand to inherit from the decedent.

Because the executor serves as the living personification of the decedent's estate, they are solely accountable for proving the validity of the will. This is a lot of work, but because executors are normally chosen based on how much they stand to inherit from a will once its validity is confirmed, they have a good incentive to see the process to finalization.

How Can A Fredonia, New York Lawyer Help?

Because this process can be fairly difficult, it is not a bad idea to consult with a seasoned probate lawyer in Fredonia, New York, especially if you find yourself as the executor of an estate and don't know how to proceed.